


Beauty Mark

by healingqilin



Category: Ailee (Musician), NU'EST, SEVENTEEN (Band), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Developing Relationship, Family, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Implied Ailee/Woozi, Implied Woozi/S.Coups, Mentioned Hwang Minhyun, Mentioned Min Yoongi | Suga, Mentioned Wen Jun Hui | Jun, Multi, Nobility, Puppy Love, Royalty, Set in Another Country, Spanish era Philippines, a more appropriate tag would be KOREANS IN A PHILIPPINE MONARCHY, based on another of my original works, story has some Filipino-Spanish terms, there's a glossary of terms though don't worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-22 21:13:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13772673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/healingqilin/pseuds/healingqilin
Summary: [KOREANS IN A PHILIPPINE MONARCHY AU]The noble-born Jihoon and Daniel are first cousins with a strong brotherly bond. When circumstances pull the two apart, Jihoon wonders if there's any way he could spend more time with his beloved cousin...and a few of his other dear loved ones as well.





	Beauty Mark

**Author's Note:**

> Here's the mixed fandom fic NOBODY asked for! The story is set in an alternate version of the Philippines only because I used an excerpt from a novel and personal project I'm working on. I didn't bother to change the setting anymore, and I wanted to use these scenes as writing practice and also put some of my favorite idols in this mess. :3
> 
> Since there will be a sprinkling of Filipino-Spanish words, I have a [glossary](http://healingqilin.tumblr.com/post/171155096210/glossary-of-terms-used-in-my-fanfic-beauty-mark) for non-Filipino speakers! 
> 
> Before I forget, the age changes! At the start of the story, Daniel and Jonghyun are 17, Jihoon is 11, Ailee is 16, and Seungcheol is 12.
> 
> Beware of errors. I didn't have this beta-read. :P

His pocket watch strikes four when Daniel arrives at his uncle’s mansion. He and the rest of his clan already live in one massive hacienda but their separate homes stand meters apart that he needs to ride a _kalesa_ to get from house to house. For this reason, the clan keeps stables of quality horses in their arsenal.  

He knocks on the gilded mahogany door carved with intricate whorls. At the corner of eye, he notices the recently installed new doorbell hanging over his right temple. Too late now; he’s already knocked. He hopes this little blunder won’t bother his easily-irritable uncle.

A young lady answers the door.

“Good afternoon, _senyorito_ ,” the handmaid greets him with a bow. “What can I do for you?”

“Good afternoon. Is Jihoon done with his piano lessons for today?” Daniel asks.

“He has just finished,” she replies. “Please, come in.” She leads him inside into the living room.

Out of all the clan’s collective mansions, his uncle’s is the biggest in the hacienda. It’s a three-storey U-shaped building with its own mini plaza and fountain snuggled in the middle. When Daniel was much younger, he loved going here to play with his favorite little cousin. They would chase each other through its wide hallways and weave through the pillars until they would get too tired and rest by the fountain, cooling off in its soft mists. Birthday parties and other celebrations would be held here due to its spacious size. Family friends and business colleagues would also be invited to the mansion for meetings or simply to catch up with one another.

Until the people just stopped arriving one day.

Her picture sits on the mantle in the living room. Every day—the handmaid tells Daniel—fresh flowers are laid around her image. It has been five months since the untimely passing of his aunt. To the clan, including Daniel, the wound in their hearts still beats fresh.

Since then, the mansion looked bigger than it already is. It’s much too large for a widower, his young son, and a handful of servants. After their donya’s death, her personal handmaidens had opted to return to their respective provinces, which their don kindly allowed.

Daniel takes a seat on the soft red-brown couch. The leather feels smooth and brand new against his palm. It _looks_ new too. He figures his uncle may have had reupholstered all the leather seats and rearranged all the furniture to change the energy inside the mansion after such a mournful event.

“ _Kuya_ Daniel!” Jihoon runs to his cousin and jumps up to wrap his arms around his neck. “You came! Does Papa know you’re here?”

“Hello, Jihoon.” Daniel returns the hug. “No, _Tito_ has no idea at all. I thought you told him.”

Jihoon hangs his head and hides his arms behind his back. “I...didn’t want to bother him.”

Daniel pats his little cousin’s head. Don Yoongi is notorious in the hacienda for having a tongue so sharp that even _it_ can cut blades. No one dared cross him, especially on days when they sensed him to be more easily frustrated. He never abused Jihoon in any way, as far as Daniel knows, but his authoritative presence was enough for any child to run on their first sight of him.

“I understand. Is he in his personal office?”

The little boy nods.

“Then he won’t come out until midnight, am I right?” Daniel chuckles. “We have a lot of time to play and tell stories then.”

The handmaid returns to the living room pushing a serving cart of snacks and drinks for the two cousins. Blocks of soft _maja blanca_ start to make their mouths water, and the tall pitcher of fresh _calamansi_ juice quickly catches their attention.

“We should eat _merienda_ first!” Jihoon insists. “Piano lessons made me so hungry!”

Daniel chuckles. “Alright, alright. Let’s eat first.”

The two converse about their usual musings: Jihoon and his piano, and Daniel and his trips to the imperial capital. Being the heir of his clan required Daniel to make state visits to the Palacio as often as possible. He’s also officially part of the crown prince’s court and, as Jihoon finds out, is more than just an imperial courtier.

Jihoon’s face lights up. “You’ll marry him? When?” He asks with a chunk of the _maja blanca_ still in his mouth.

A blush creeps over Daniel’s fair cheeks. He hides this with his glass of _calamansi_ juice. “Next year, at the earliest. It can’t be this year because our families are still in mourning.”

“Oh.” The younger boy’s head bows in response. “Right.”

Because of Don Yoongi’s less-than-fatherly methods of parenting, Jihoon was unsurprisingly closer to his mother, who also happened to be sister to the reigning monarch of the empire. She proclaimed to give up her imperial title of _Prinsesa_ after her marriage to the nobleman, much to the shock of both her royal relatives and the citizens. Some assumed it was due to the internal strife within the imperial family that she didn’t want to take part of. Others gossiped that Don Yoongi was not originally the former princesses’ intended, but she married him anyway because of love and stripped her title to keep her family uninvolved with her audacious decision. No one was entirely sure of the reason. There were no ill feelings between them, however. When she passed, the imperial family traveled all the way to the hacienda in the province to pay their respects. And despite her relinquishing her title, they laid her to rest in the imperial mausoleum after reading her last will and testament.

“Are you doing all right?” Daniel asks his cousin.

Jihoon doesn’t answer for a few seconds, then nods slowly while biting into another piece of his snack to stop his tears from coming out.

“You’ll be fine eventually,” the older one says. “It’s going to take a while, but you’ll get through this. We all will.”

The cousins continue eating in silence until the incessant ringing gets to Daniel’s ears that he promptly requests Jihoon to play something on the piano. The younger one wipes his hands clean on a towel and sits in front of the keys. There are two pianos in this mansion: an upright one in Jihoon’s study room where he takes his lessons and a grand piano in the center of the living room. The 11-year-old looks much smaller next to the latter, but once he lays his hands into position, somehow he appears to already have full mastery of his musical craft.

His pale fingers dance on the keys like a virtuoso would. Daniel had wondered why Jihoon still had to take lessons when he seems to be a prodigy, having a father well-known for being a musician and composer himself. The boy first started playing the piano when he still toddled as he walked. He’s one of the main sources of entertainment during family banquets and the like. Members of the elite who would visit the mansion and listen to Jihoon’s piano-playing made arrangements with Don Yoongi to invite him to study in the conservatory in the capital. Don Yoongi did not permit his son to go until he came of age. Not even with a legal guardian.

Just when the hypnotic piece moves towards a crescendo does Jihoon abruptly pause in playing.

“Why did you stop?”

Jihoon faces Daniel. “ _Kuya_ , if you’re going to marry the crown prince, then does that mean you’re going to live in the Palacio forever?”

Daniel’s eyes widen. He has honestly forgotten about that tidbit. “I—I guess I will. It’s doubtful that Jonghyun would give up his claim to the throne just to live here with me.”

“So you’ll leave me too?”

Daniel swears his heart fell to the pit of his stomach after hearing what Jihoon had said. Once he married the crown prince, of course, he’d _have_ to live in the Palacio as the newest member of the imperial family.

“ _Kuya_ Jonghyun—I mean—His Highness is kind and understanding, right?” Jihoon continues. Daniel notes the flub the younger one made. _Prinsipe_ Jonghyun does have a fondness for the boy, being the only other direct relative who has the same love for music as he does. If it weren’t for the distance, they would have been closer as cousins too. “You’ll both visit us here often, right?”

“I don’t know about that, Jihoon,” Daniel laments.

True, Jonghyun is an understanding prince. But the possibility of he and Daniel making frequent trips back to the province are slim as they would be the future ruler of the empire and the imperial consort respectively. They would need to stay in the capital for most of the time and visit the other tributaries too.

Daniel would be marrying his best friend and the love of his life but at the cost of leaving his other favorite person in the world. His heart sinks lower in the deepest, darkest depths of his being. If only there was a way to keep Jihoon close to him too.

 ---

The capital looks much more vast than the last time Jihoon visited. He had been here a number of times in the past, tagging along with his father as he did his political duties or, occasionally, performed for the imperial court. Whenever Don Yoongi made these trips, Daniel would be encouraged to come too for the purpose of mingling with the other nobles and attracting would-be suitors. Despite his youth, Jihoon already understood early on why his family was and still is considered an important figure in the empire’s political landscape. They are the wealthiest clan and they provide the funds for both industrial materials and military weaponry.

This was also the reason why Jihoon privately didn’t approve of those initiating courtship to Daniel on the day he turned sixteen. No matter how much the other elite families urged their children to woo the young heir, Daniel would turn them down. They were really only after the money, and Daniel was aware of that too. He already had his heart set on the crown prince anyway, and it was a miracle Jonghyun returned his affections and immediately asked His Imperial Majesty for his blessing on their engagement.

Jihoon and Daniel are back in the Palacio that day. It doesn’t feel too different from the last time they’ve been visited. There appear to be more flowers in the garden though.

“You know you can ask the gardeners to pick some for you,” says a gentle voice. It’s _Prinsipe_ Jonghyun, and he’s looming right behind Jihoon sitting on a bench.

The boy stands up and gives a curt bow to the crown prince. “Good morning, Your Highness,” he greets.

Jonghyun motions for Jihoon to be at ease. “Now, now. You also know you’re free to call me ‘Kuya’ here,” he tells him.

“Yes, I know, but…”

One corner of Jonghyun’s mouth curls up. “Everyone within the palace compound knows we’re related. Don’t worry.” He sits on the bench and pats the spot beside him. The boy shyly takes that empty spot beside his royal cousin. “What’s on your mind, my little Jihoon? You were staring at that rose bush for a full three minutes.”

He was? And what was His Highness doing staring at him staring at the rose bush? “N—Nothing much. Just... _Kuya_ Daniel and you.”

“Hmm? Is that the only thing that’s on your mind?”

Jonghyun has him in his little trap. He may be Jihoon’s cousin but he’s still the crown prince, and that respectable distance makes the boy unable to hide his true thoughts from him.

“Um…her.” With his lips, Jihoon points at the young lady sitting by the fountain a few meters away from them. Jonghyun giggles at his cousin’s target.

“Why don’t you go to her and give her your gift from back home? You did bring those for her, am I correct?” The crown prince glances over at the basket of fresh _kiat-kiat_ from the orchards of the hacienda.

Jihoon bashfully nods in reply.

“Then go ahead,” Jonghyun says. “I’ll keep your seat warm.”

“I can’t go to her now. She’s surrounded by her suitors.” Jihoon’s hands ball into fists on his lap.

“I assure you, she’ll leave those suitors and forget all about them once she sees you,” he tells his young cousin. “Ailee’s the most talkative in my court and I swear by the heavens, she wouldn’t stop asking me when’s the next time you and Daniel would come here to visit.”

“Is that true?”

“Why would I lie to you, especially with matters of the heart?”

In an instant, Jihoon’s face flushes nearly as red as the roses he was staring at. He had heard of the pretty _senyorita’s_ name since he was much younger but had only personally met her a year and a half ago. She was already quite a lovely sight back then. Though it was normal for children of his age to get innocent crushes from time to time, Jihoon could just not stop thinking about her after their first meeting. In their short interaction, he had learned that she loves to sing (and is particularly amazing at it) and she loves to eat _kiat-kiat_. He informed her that his family has a lot of those tiny, sweet, and juicy orange fruits at home and that he’d bring some for her the next time they would meet. Only that he’d completely forgotten about it when he visited the capital with his father again just two months before his mother’s untimely death. Jihoon apologized to her while Ailee reassured him that it was perfectly all right. As a replacement gift, he played the piano for her in the palace lobby. Ailee was briefly astonished at his talent, but then gleefully joined him by singing along.

It was much too soon to tell back then but Jihoon was convinced he had fallen in love with her at that moment.

“What are you waiting for?” Jonghyun lightly pushes Jihoon towards Ailee’s direction. “Go. That’s an order from the crown prince—oh, hold on. Let me just add something first.”

Jonghyun stands up and walks over to the gardeners. They bow to the prince and quickly obey his command to pluck a few of best blooms from the rose bush. They snip off the thorns and give the roses to him.

“Give her these too,” he says as he carefully inserts the roses inside the basket, forming a garland around the fruits. “Remember, they’re from _you._ Don’t you dare tell her they’re from me, understand?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“I told you, you can call me ‘ _Kuya_ ’. Now, go!”  

Jihoon stumbles forward, but soon picks up the courage to walk to the fountain. He’s only a few big leaps away when he stops. Can _Ate_ Ailee even see him? The crowd of suitors has gathered in front of her, obstructing most of her view. For a few seconds, Jihoon thinks if he would experience this same scenario once he turns sixteen too. Would there even be anyone attracted to him like these people are to his _Ate_ Ailee and once before to his _Kuya_ Daniel?

The boy sees the suitors bearing expensive gifts of jewelry and large, fancy bouquets for Ailee. All he has for her is a basket of tiny orange fruit decorated with the roses from the garden.

He saunters forward quietly...unassumingly...hoping a person’s head would move aside for long enough that it would allow the _senyorita_ to see him.

“These gifts are all so beautiful and I’m truly grateful for them,” Ailee says through the ruckus, “but please, as much as I’m honored that you all would like to court me, I have to say ‘no’ for now—” she gasps “—Jihoon? Is that you?”

Ailee squeezes her way out of the crowd and bounds towards her young friend. “Ah! Jihoon!” she squeals. “I’ve missed you.” She nuzzles her cheek into his soft black hair.

“I’ve missed you too... _Ate_.”

“When His Highness told me that you and Daniel were coming here, I was ecstatic! I saw Daniel at the audience chamber and asked him where you were and he said you were at the gardens and I tried to find you and—” she inhales mid-sentence “—and those people found me first so of course I couldn’t just ignore them, right? But now I’ve found you and I’m so glad to see you again.” Ailee wraps her arms tighter around Jihoon’s neck. “Oh. You’ve grown!”

“I have?” Jihoon’s voice is muffled by her hair.

“Yes! You were just up to here the last time I saw you.” She places her hand parallel to her bosom. “You’re up to my chin now.” Ailee catches a glimpse of the basket Jihoon is holding behind him. “What’s that?”

“This? Remember I promised you I’d give you _kiat-kiat_ one time but I forgot? Well, I’m making up for that now.” Jihoon shows her the basket chock full of the tiny orange fruits. “I plucked these myself from the orchards,” he tells her while looking aside. The pink hue growing on his cheeks and ears is becoming more noticeable.

“Aww, Jihoon, thank you! Did you pick the roses yourself, too?”

“I, uh, had help,” he replies. “You know. Thorns.”

Jihoon stretches out his arms to give Ailee the basket, but she steps to the side and bends down to just about his height to give him a warm kiss on the cheek.

The gasps from the crowd of suitors watching them make Jihoon think of only two things: one, Ailee just gave him a kiss, albeit on the cheek, and two, she really did forget about those people once she saw him, as Jonghyun had said.

“Ah... _Ate_ …” The suddenness of her action causes his vocal cords to fail him. His face feels unbearably hot now.

“Thank you so much, Jihoon. I love these a lot,” Ailee says. “Come! Let’s go to that bench over there and eat these together.”

As she leads him back to the bench, her suitors attempt to follow the pair but stop in their tracks when they spot the crown prince still sitting there watching this whole scene unfold. The crowd fearfully steps back, then eventually disperse in defeat from the little boy with the fruit basket. And he isn’t just any little boy. They’re aware of who he is and the family he’s from, which only makes them back off for good.

Jihoon and Ailee are still a bit far away but he sees the cheeky grin on _Prinsipe_ Jonghyun’s face. He’s set the two up and is beaming with pride at his successful plan that had come to fruition.

Jonghyun nods when Jihoon locks gazes with him and leaves the bench to give the pair some privacy. He sees his fiancé leaning against a pillar, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“What was that all about?” Daniel asks him.

The crown prince shrugs. “Oh, nothing much, my dear. Didn’t you want _that_ to happen in the first place?”

“It’s too early for that. He’s only eleven.”

“Yes, and in five more years he’ll come of age. Ailee would surely be the first to ask permission to court him.”

“If and only if she doesn’t answer someone else’s love calls before then.”

Jonghyun shakes his head, unable to think of any retort to his beloved. He pats Daniel’s cheek and kisses him, away from the eyes of the gardeners in the area.

“From what I can tell from here, they really adore each other a lot. We were like that too, weren’t we? Well, let’s just see what happens between the two of them.”

\---

Jihoon didn’t expect he’d return to the capital so soon after just a week. With Daniel’s position, close members of his clan are permitted to come to the Palacio as often as they wish. His Imperial Majesty had even hired the best architects and carpenters to build a villa just for them inside the palace compound.

Daniel and Jonghyun aren’t getting married for another year but Jihoon finds himself in a room full of bolts of _pinya_ fiber cloth and seamstresses getting his measurements for the wedding garments. As the first cousin of both the crown prince and the future crown consort, he’s expected to wear something worth looking at.

He’s not the only young nobleman in the fitting room, however.

“I knew it was a good thing I refused to go with _Nanay_ and _Ate_ yesterday. I get to be with you today,” Seungcheol says. He’s Ailee’s younger brother and the closest Jihoon has to a best friend. He looks nothing like his sister due to the fact that both of them were adopted by their current mothers. Still, he seems to share the same devilish charms as Ailee. “Honestly, I just wanted to stay at home and sleep.”

“I’m with you on that,” Jihoon agrees. “And why do we even have to get measurements now? Wouldn’t we grow taller in a year?”

Seungcheol hides his growing smile behind his sleeve. He breathes in to keep his composure, but the giggles betray him and he ends up guffawing.

“What are you laughing about?” Jihoon shoots him a glare.

“I’m sorry, but—“ Seungcheol wheezes, “—I don’t think you’ll change height-wise any time soon.”

Jihoon flings his untied shoe at his best friend, which he dodges. “ _Ate_ Ailee told me I grew taller last month.” He scowls.

“She probably only said that to make you feel better.” Seungcheol exhales the remaining giggles away. “I’m just kidding, Jihoon. You’ll grow much taller. But I’m gonna be taller than you for sure!”

The seamstresses finish their duties and bid farewell to the young noblemen. The boys’ parents are having a meeting with the imperial family and did not want to be disturbed, so they opt to play _sipa_ in the gardens.

Seungcheol thinks he has the upper hand because of his long legs, but he overestimates himself. He stumbles around like a newborn foal and misses the washer-cloth toy a dozen times before getting one hit. Jihoon, though shorter, has more control of his limbs and is the more agile one of the two. He keeps the toy off the ground with well-placed kicks. The game ends after three sets with a total score of 32-18 in Jihoon’s favor.

“Hey, Jihoon, have you ever been to a wedding before?” asks Seungcheol out of the blue while they both rest under the shade of a _kalachuchi_ tree.

“Nope.” At least he thinks he hasn’t been to one he remembers. “You?”

“Me neither. This will be my first time seeing someone getting married. I’m pretty excited about it too. I just don’t like the idea of having to wear an itchy _barong_ the whole time.”

His best friend chuckles in agreement. “ _Ate_ Ailee said she’ll be singing during the reception.”

“Yup, I heard. And you’ll play the piano accompaniment.”

Jihoon jumps up. “What?”

“Oh, they haven’t told you yet? Your Papa finally allowed you to play in public after His Imperial Majesty requested for your talent. I thought you would know. _Nanay_ told me, but I think _Ate_ doesn’t know about that yet either.”

Jihoon’s knees become weak and he drops to the ground. It’s a scenario he never imagined would happen so soon. Daniel and the guests of the mansion did praise him for his prodigious abilities, but he’s still learning. He’s not once played piano for an audience in the capital before and yet he’ll be doing just that and in front of his royal relatives no less.

He doesn’t realize he’s been staring speechless at the grass beneath his knees.

“Jihoon, are you all right?” Seungcheol asks him so worriedly.

“Yes, I’m…I’m fine,” the younger one blurts. “I’m excited!”

The time he’s played for Ailee before (and how she joined in oh so suddenly) flashes back into his memory. It was all unplanned, yet the way they matched—piano and voice—together, could pass as something rehearsed for weeks. He and Ailee will actually have to practice together this time. There’s no way he’ll allow himself to mess up a performance before such an esteemed audience, and especially before his father.

“I can’t wait to watch you two perform,” says Seungcheol. “You’ll both do great.”

Jihoon couldn’t help but smile. Seungcheol is one of the few people in his life who truly appreciates him and his talent. Just like what he feels for his _Kuya_ Daniel and his _Ate_ Ailee, he hopes he would never have to be separated from Seungcheol. It’s a big scary world out there and though he’ll grow up eventually, just the thought of going through life without the people he loves the most is enough to terrify him.

“I’ll come of age four years from now, while you will too five years from now,” Seungcheol suddenly points out. “We both might have suitors too when that time comes. And we’re gonna get engaged to one of them and marry them and…I don’t know. It’s all happening too fast.”

The younger boy shakes his head. In his mind, he firmly believes no one will be vying for his affections.

“ _Ate_ hasn’t answered anyone yet,” mentions the older. The lingering weight of uncertainty Jihoon kept with him from the last time he saw Ailee untethers itself from his heart. “ _Nanay_ says she might not even want to get married at all.”

Then it quickly latches back to it like a falcon’s talons on tender flesh.

“Maybe she’s waiting for someone.” Jihoon meant to say that to himself, but it reaches Seungcheol’s ears.

“Hmm. Maybe.”

The sound of birds flying overhead and the whistling breeze against the tree branches engulf the two boys. Jihoon is particularly fond of the lack of talk, but to stop conversing altogether makes him shudder. Luckily for him, Seungcheol breaks the silence between them.

“Will _you_ wait for me?”

The question catches Jihoon off-guard. “What?”

“When you turn sixteen and get a bunch of suitors, will you still wait for me to court you?”

His words still don’t catch on to Jihoon. “Huh?”

Seungcheol pouts and rubs the back of his best friend’s dense head. “Never mind.”

\---

As expected of a royal wedding, citizens have gathered outside their homes to give their well-wishes to the soon-to-be-married couple. Ever since Daniel turned sixteen, people from all over the empire who have heard of the young _senyorito_ have also heard of his good looks and charm, the latter being a rare sight in the political scene. Because of that, Daniel quickly gained popularity among the masses and in turn, they grew to adore his fiancé as well. Finally, they thought, an understanding political figure in the government for once. They had hoped his innate kindness and generosity would rub off on his spouse-to-be, the future ruler of the empire.

After getting dressed in their wedding attire—Daniel in a pristine white _barong_ and black trousers and Jonghyun in a matching outfit but with a red sash hung over his shoulder and tied to his hip and a his golden circlet on his head—they board the float that will be paraded outside and around the walled palace compound. Such is the custom of a royal wedding.

“Are you nervous?” Jonghyun asks him when he feels his beloved’s hand shaking in his.

“I’d be lying if I said ‘no’.” Daniel chuckles to mask his nerves.

“Don’t be. I’ll be by your side the entire time.” The crown prince presses Daniel’s inner wrist, a technique he learned that helps relieve tension and anxiety. “When we get out there, all we have to do is smile and wave. You can do that.”

Indeed, that’s all he needs to do. The people of the empire already love him, so why would he be so uneasy now?

Blaring trumpets signal the starts of the pre-wedding parade, and the float begins to move forward. The sidewalks are packed with people cheering for the couple as they wave to them. Many of these people are staunch admirers of Daniel and amongst the crowd, a number of young men and women weep dramatically for having lost a chance at the _senyorito_ ’s heart to the crown prince. It’s nearly midday and the sun is reaching its peak in the sky. Daniel is grateful for their shaded palanquin on the float but when he looks down to the crowd, he sees that not everyone has brought a parasol or a hat on their person. He silently wishes that they all find some shade and fresh drinks right after the parade.

It doesn’t take them long to reach the main gates of the palace compound.  The onlookers have been thankfully disciplined today, and they allow the crown prince and his betrothed a clear passage without the help of bodyguards. A lengthy red carpet peppered with equally red rose petals connects the main gates to the entrance of the Palacio itself. In a pagoda, a choir sings a wedding hymn as the couple walks towards the Palacio, inside the lobby, and up to the balcony where they are to be wed. Once inside, they are greeted by their family members at the grand staircase. Daniel spots Jihoon standing right behind Don Yoongi. The boy flashes a proud grin at him and Daniel notices how his little cousin doesn’t look so little anymore with his spiffy _barong_. At the balcony, a _babaylan_ bows to them and begins to officiate the ceremony. They give praises to the deities for the bringing together of two individuals and two families through marriage. Each of Jonghyun and Daniel’s hands is tied with a ribbon to a chalice of wine which they drink together. And to finally mark their unity, the couple kisses in front of the crowd of spectators, an act that elicits a thunderous applause for the newlyweds.

His Imperial Majesty looks at his son and his new son-in-law with great pride. A child of the imperial family and a child of the wealthiest clan in the empire have once again become one. A thought flutters in his mind. Wherever she is, his younger sister would have loved to witness this moment for herself. 

 

 

There are no commoners in the reception as only families of the couple and their invited guests are allowed. After a toast to the newlyweds, His Imperial Majesty presents Jihoon and Ailee to provide the musical entertainment while the guests continue enjoying the feast. This is it. This is what Jonghyun and Daniel have been waiting for aside from their marriage. They give encouraging smiles to their little cousin and their close friend when the two performers get into position.

Jihoon is understandably nervous, but he’s so at home with the white grand piano that it’s barely noticeable. He glides and presses his fingers over the keys with such expertise that it’s easy to forget that he’s only turning 12 years old this year. Ailee grows more beautiful each passing year and so does her voice. She sings an entrancing love ballad with an air of professionalism as if she’s been singing as a career her whole life. The two of them performing together draw the attention of the guests that most of them have paused in eating just to watch and listen. Jihoon and Ailee receive a standing applause (and a few cheers for an encore) after their spectacular music number. Hand in hand, they saunter towards the newlyweds to send their well-wishes.

“That was amazing, my Jihoon!” Daniel engulfs his little cousin in his arms.

“Thank you for that wonderful song,” Jonghyun says to both the musician and the singer. “I’ve never heard that before? Did _Tito_ Yoongi write and compose that?”

Ailee excitedly pokes Jihoon’s shoulder. “Hurry and tell him!”

“I…I wrote and composed that, Your Highness.”

Jonghyun beams brightly. “I knew you could do it. It was actually my request to have you play piano and for Ailee to sing. I only asked my _Amang Hari_ if he could tell _Tito_ Yoongi for me.”

“I’m glad you like it.” Jihoon glances at Ailee. “And I’m grateful for being requested to perform with _Ate_ Ailee for you, Your Highnesses.”

 _Highnesses?_ Daniel raises an eyebrow. It just occurred to him that he’s practically royalty now.

Seungcheol walks over to them to call his sister and his best friend back to their table to eat. “Congratulations, Your Highnesses, and best wishes to both of you,” he greets with a bow.

His new title feels strange to him. He was ever only called ‘ _Senyorito_ Daniel’ and at one point ‘Don Daniel’ when he turned 18 a month ago.  He’ll be referred to as ‘His Highness’ from now on, and he knows it’s going to take a while to get used to. It really doesn’t seem like he married into royalty. It just feels like he married his best friend.

 

 

Right before Daniel’s family returns to their home province, Jihoon runs to him on the balcony to give him a hug. It’s against protocol now that Daniel is officially the imperial crown consort, but no one else is in the area. Even if there were a soul, Daniel himself would scold anyone who would attempt to pry his favorite cousin away from him.

“ _Kuya_ , how often will you be in the Palacio?”

“I don’t know,” Daniel answers. “Jonghyun and I will be visiting the sovereigns of the southern states two days from now. And after that, we’ll go north. Since I’ve married the crown prince, I’d have to make a ton of courtesy calls, especially to those who weren’t able to attend the wedding today.”

Jihoon hangs his head in sorrow. There’s a shiny glint running down his cheek, and Daniel promptly rubs it away with his thumb.

“I heard you’re going to study in the conservatory,” he says to distract the boy’s dismal thoughts. “ _Tito_ told me. The courtiers have been urging him for years to let you study there and he finally caved in. I’m happy for you.”

Underneath the shadow of Jihoon’s hair, a smile appears beneath the soft blue glow of the moonlight.

Daniel pats his cousin’s head. “Ailee’s studying there too if I’m not mistaken.”

“Yes, but…she’s taking classical voice lessons there. I’ll be taking piano and composition.”

“Still, it’s in the same school. You might even perform together again.”

A pause lingers between the cousins for a few heartbeats.

“Even if I can be with Seungcheol and _Ate_ Ailee more often here in the capital, it still won’t be the same without you or _Kuya_ Jonghyun. I’ll miss you a lot, _Kuya_ ,” Jihoon says, his voice nearly choking up.

“I’ll miss you too. A whole lot.”

The cousins share the tightest hug they’ve ever done. Jihoon looks up to Daniel’s face to keep his tears from falling any more. But by doing so, he sees something he hasn’t noticed before. It’s small and seemingly insignificant but it’s enough to peak his curiosity.

“ _Kuya_ , has that always been there?”

“What has?”

“This.” Jihoon presses the skin under the outer corner of Daniel’s right eye.

“A—Are you touching my beauty mark?”

The boy nods and puts down his finger to get a better look at it.

Daniel smiles at his cousin’s discovery. “I’ve always had this for as long as I remember. You have one too, you know.” He points on the spot under the outer corner of Jihoon’s _left_ eye.

“Oh. I’ve…never really bothered with my face before. I never knew I had one there.”

“Tell you what, whenever you start missing me, just look at yourself in the mirror,” Daniel advises him. “When you see your reflection, imagine that you’re looking at me. We’re mirror images of each other. We look so much alike after all. And our beauty marks help with that illusion.”

“How can we be mirror images of each other when you’re much taller than me?”

“You’ll grow as tall as me soon,” Daniel says, then with a smirk, whispers to himself, “hopefully.”

The night is still young, but Jihoon needs to join his family’s convoy before they set off. He’ll come back to the capital soon with his belongings as he begins his first year as a conservatory student. Daniel may have gone to the southern regions with Jonghyun by then but there will be a handful of various mirrors in their clan’s villa for him to look at. He makes a mental note to bring along a pocket mirror too, nonetheless.

 

.

.

.

.

.

 

The streets surrounding the palace compound is filled with people once again. It’s almost reminiscent of the royal wedding five years ago. The only difference now is that no one is cheering. No one is sending well-wishes. No one is waving to a float with an elated smile on their face.

And the sky appears to reflect the mood. It’s nearly midday, but the heavens are washed with gray clouds.

A now 17-year-old Jihoon trudges behind the flatbed truck making its way slowly through the road. In between him and Seungcheol, Ailee struggles to keep herself up, clinging desperately to their arms while sobbing uncontrollably. Jihoon has never seen her cry like this before. Seungcheol too. He’s visibly distressed as shown by his bloodshot eyes and the pallor of his skin.

In front of them, the imperial family marches with an unusual grace as if they had rehearsed for this moment since childhood. Their march as a whole isn’t totally perfect, however. _Prinsipe_ Jonghyun falters in several steps. His consigliere Minhyun coils his arm around the crown prince to keep him from fainting. Beside them is a small palanquin carrying the seven-year-old _Prinsipe_ Junhui, the youngest member of the imperial family and Jonghyun’s younger brother. Jihoon thinks that it may only be the protocol that forced him to appear in public when the public isn’t even allowed to see his face. But he sees through the palanquin’s curtains that this isn’t the case. The little prince’s silhouette shows him hiccupping repeatedly and rubbing his eyes underneath the veil covering his whole person.

Of course, he would react this way. Of course, the citizens of the empire would come out of their homes in droves to give one final goodbye to the royal in the casket.

That was Daniel’s impact.

 

 

The three-hour, 210 kilometer-long procession ends with the truck stopping at Daniel’s final resting place: his birth family’s private cemetery. It’s what he would have wanted. As they lower his casket and shower him with white rose petals, Jihoon’s knees give in and pull him to the ground. He opens his mouth to shout, but not a sound comes out. His face is wet with the tears he managed to hold in during the march.

He’s never going to see his _Kuya_ Daniel again. This realization hits Jihoon so hard that he believes his own soul left his own body, leaving him with nothing but an empty husk. Nothing else matters. Going to the capital to study with the hopes of spending time with his cousin was all for naught.

A pair of arms wraps around his torso. He doesn’t need to look to know that it’s Ailee, soaking his black vest with her tears. Another pair of arms finds themselves around him and her. Seungcheol, voice hoarse and tired, comforts them both with words he knows won’t work at this moment. He tries anyway. He tries anything…anything at all to help ease their pain and his.

 

 

For years, the mansion of Don Yoongi stood quietly with the lack of visitors. There are about 50 people within its walls now, yet still, the air around them is silent. Even as they replenish themselves from the long march with a simple banquet, they speak to one another in hushed, careful voices. Jihoon is no mood to talk or eat. He excuses himself from Ailee and Seungcheol’s table to walk through the hallways of his home.

He spots the door of a guest room ajar when the other rooms are locked shut. As he approaches the room, he instantly recognizes the voice coming from inside. He hears Minhyun, with a strained cry, furiously apologizing to someone.

“Forgive me, Your Highness. I could’ve protected him. I could’ve taken that bullet for him. He…he told me to leave and send for help. He insisted and I foolishly obeyed when I could’ve saved him!”

Jihoon doesn’t hear a reply from Jonghyun. Who knows what he’s feeling at this moment? The anguish may possibly be more intense coming from the spouse of the deceased. Jihoon is rightfully enraged too. If only there was a way for him to find Daniel’s assassin, he would go on the hunt immediately. The authorities are already investigating, but a case like this could take years to solve especially one with no leads so far. People have been pointing fingers. Eyes are locked on the other state sovereigns who could be enemies of the imperial family. One wrong move could cost another life, so none of the nobles are courageous enough to speak.

Jihoon decides to go the fountain where he and Daniel loved to play. On his way there, he stops by a full-length framed mirror hanging on a wall. Standing in front of his reflection, Jihoon sobs a torrent of tears. It could just be his mind playing tricks or the blurriness of his vision, but he sees his beloved cousin looking back at him with the sweetest, most serene smile he’s ever seen.

 

♚♚♚

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed that! If in case you want to know what happens next or the details of the story I've left out, I can't do any of that because like I mentioned, this is just an excerpt of a novel I plan on publishing. Spoilers abound! 
> 
> Thank you for making it this far! ^u^


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